Sporobolus indicus
(L.) R.Br.
Poaceae
Agrostis compressa Poir.
Agrostis elongata Lam.
Agrostis indica L.
Agrostis tenacissima Jacq.
Agrostis tenuissima Spreng.
Axonopus poiretii Roem. & Schult.
Sporobolus angustus Buckley
Sporobolus berteroanus (Trin.) Hitchc. & Chase
Sporobolus exilis (Trin.) Balansa
Sporobolus jacquemontii Borhidi
Sporobolus jacquemontii Kunth
Sporobolus lamarckii Desv. ex Ham.
Sporobolus minor Trin. ex Kunth
Sporobolus poiretii (Roem. & Schult.) Hitchc.
Sporobolus pyramidatus (Lam.) Hitchc.
Vilfa angusta Buckley
Vilfa berteroana Trin.
Vilfa exilis Trin.
Vilfa familiaris Steud. ex Lechler
Vilfa indica (L.) Trin. ex Steud.
Vilfa jacquemontii (Kunth) Trin.
Vilfa rupestris (Kunth) Trin.
Vilfa rupestris Trin.
Vilfa tenacissima (L.f.) Kunth
Common Name: Smut Grass
General Information
Sporobolus indicus is usually a rather densely clump-forming, perennial grass with erect, branched culms 30 - 100cm tall[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its straw, which is woven into various items. The seed has occasionally been used for food.
The plant has become naturalised in many areas outside its original range. It spreads well in areas where there is traffic and the soil has been compacted and is particularly aggressive in wet and swampy soils[
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
154- Title
- Flora of Victoria.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ewart. A. J.
- Publisher
- University Press; Melbourne
- Year
- 1930
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
Range
Widespread in subtropical to tropical areas of Europe and Asia; S. America through Central America, the Caribbean and southern N. America.
Habitat
Found in poor dry soils in Australia[
154- Title
- Flora of Victoria.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ewart. A. J.
- Publisher
- University Press; Melbourne
- Year
- 1930
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
]. Waste places, roadsides etc in the Philippines[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
]. Savannahs, dry hills, fields and waste places in Panama[
368- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 30
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1943
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains parts of the Flora of Panama.This, and other volumes of the series, are available for download from the Internet.
].
Properties
Weed Potential | Yes |
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Perennial |
Height | 0.75 m |
Pollinators | Wind |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in warm temperate to tropical areas.
Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a flour[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
The plant is used to enrich the blood, reduce swellings and correct gonorrhoea[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. It is considered to be an antifertility drug in some countries[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Other Uses
A fibre is obtained from the leaves[
156- Title
- Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-00-216441-8
- Description
- A very readable book.
].
The tough culms are used for making hats and other items that can be woven from straw[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
,
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
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